Fly swatter



Dec. 18, 1934.

Y. N. SARANTOS FLY SWATTER Filed Sepfc.. 22, 1934 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to fly swatters, and is characterized by the provision of novel means for the hinging of the screen swatter element to the handle, to the end that the device can be economically manufactured and effectively used.

Various fly swatters have been devised which have employed a handle with a hingedly attached wire screen swatter element. My invention is particularly concerned with the manner of hinging the swatter to the handle, and this I accomplish by forming a bight by folding and stitching one end of a marginally taped screen swatter member, interposing in the bight a transverse wire serving as the hinge which is suitably held in place in the bight, and applying the handle loops through the screen and about the hinge wire to accomplish the assembly of the swatter.

My invention further comprises the novel details and construction and arrangement of parts which in their preferred embodiments only are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved swatter;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hinge wire as used in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a modification of the hinge wire with a different anchorage means; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged views taken respectively on the lines V-V and VI--VI of` Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

My invention, in its preferred embodiment, is shown comprising a handle formed of twisted wire 6 enclosing a wooden grip 7 and bent at one end to form the hanger suspension loop 8 and at its other end to form divergent arms 9 and 10 which are bent at their free ends upwardly and over to form open loops 11.

The swatter proper is preferably formed of wire screen 12 having folded about its marginal edges a tape 13 which is stitched thereto. The swatter, having been thus made, is bent upon itself at its untaped end to form a bight which is held by cross stitching 14. Before the stitching is applied, however, a hinge wire element is inserted in the bight.

In Fig. 1 I have shown this element in the form of the wire 15 which appears in Fig. 3, and which comprises a straight body with ends 16 preferably bent inwardly in the same plane to form acute angles with the body. The length of this wire corresponds closely to the width of the swatter, and its bent ends will therefore lie within, and be concealed by, the folds of the tape at each side of the bight. The stitching will secure this hinge wire against lengthwise displacement.

The swatter elements having been thus manufactured, the device is assembled by forcing the hook elements l1 through the bight of the swatter and about the hinge wire, after which I close the loops. This completes the assembly, and in the preferred form the loops are bent upwardly above the upper face of the swatter so that the swatter is free to hinge and lie on the handle until used.

In using the swatter, the swatter is caused to rest on the handle, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and a quick motion of the handle causes the swatter to travel downwardly and swing through an arc of 180 to strike the surface on which the y rests. This gives, as is well understood in this art, a quickerA and more effective action, and it is particularly to be noted that no stops or springs or other attachments are provided which engage the swatter and tend to deform it.

In Figs. 4 I have shown a modied type of hinge wire 17 in which the ends are left straight and the body is notched or indented at 18. The loops 11 on the handle are engaged in these notches 18 on the hinge wire and thus Serve to hold it against axial displacement in the bight of the swatter.

While I have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modications,

v/ithout departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fly swatting device, a screen wire swatter folded at one end and stitched to form a bight, a hinge wire lying within the bight, means to hold the hinge wire against longitudinal displacement, and a handle carrying spaced loops which pass through the bight and about the hinge wire to hingedly assemble the swatter and handle.

2. A fly swatter according to claim 1, in which the hinge wire has its ends bent to insure a tight engagement thereof in the bight.

3. A fly swatter according to claim 1, in which the ends of the hinge wire are bent and disposed with the stitching for the bight interposed between the wire bends and adapted to hold the hinge wire in operating position.

4. A ily swatter according to claim 1, in which the hinge wire is indented opposite to the handle loops which are adapted to engage in the indentations to hold the hinge wire against endwise displacement.

YOAKEM N. SARANTOS. 

